2020 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game

The 2020 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game that determined a national champion in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision for the 2019 season. It was played at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, on January 11, 2020,[4] with kickoff at 12:00 p.m. EST (11:00 a.m. local CST),[5] and television coverage on ABC.[6] It was the culminating game of the 2019 FCS Playoffs.

This article is about the FCS (Division I-AA) championship game. For the FBS (Division I-A) championship game, see 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship.
2020 NCAA Division I Football Championship
FCS National Championship Game
James Madison Dukes North Dakota State Bison
(14–1) (15–0)
CAA MVFC
20 28
Head coach: 
Curt Cignetti		 Head coach: 
Matt Entz
STATSSeed
22
STATSSeed
11
1234 Total
James Madison 7337 20
North Dakota State 71407 28
DateJanuary 11, 2020
Season2019
StadiumToyota Stadium
LocationFrisco, Texas
MVPTrey Lance (QB, North Dakota State)[1]
FavoriteJames Madison by 2[2]
RefereeKelly Holman (Big Sky)
Attendance17,866
United States TV coverage
NetworkABC
AnnouncersMark Jones (play-by-play), Dusty Dvoracek (analyst), Olivia Dekker (sideline)
Nielsen ratings2.686 million[3]

Teams

The participants of the 2020 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game were the finalists of the 2019 FCS Playoffs—North Dakota State and James Madison—which began with a 24-team bracket.[7][8] This was a rematch of the 2018 FCS Championship Game, won by North Dakota State, 17–13. Entering the game, North Dakota State and James Madison had won every FCS championship since the 2010 Eastern Washington Eagles won the 2011 FCS Championship Game.

Further information: NCAA Division I Football Championship § Champions

North Dakota State Bison
Main article: 2019 North Dakota State Bison football team

North Dakota State entered the game with a 15–0 record. They were 12–0 during the regular season, finishing atop the Missouri Valley Football Conference with an 8–0 conference record. The Bison received the top seed for the FCS playoffs, entitling them to a first-round bye. They then defeated Nicholls, Illinois State, and Montana State to reach the championship game. North Dakota entered the title match with a 36-game winning streak, having not lost since falling to South Dakota State on November 4, 2017.

Further information: Longest NCAA Division I football winning streaks

This was North Dakota State's eighth FCS title game; they were 7–0 in prior championship game appearances, having won titles for the 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2018 seasons. During the 2016 playoffs, they were denied a spot in the title game due to a semifinal loss to James Madison.

James Madison Dukes
Main article: 2019 James Madison Dukes football team

James Madison entered the game with a 14–1 record. They were 11–1 during the regular season, finishing atop the Colonial Athletic Association with an 8–0 conference record. Their only loss was to FBS program West Virginia, 20–13, on August 31. The Dukes received the second seed for the FCS playoffs, entitling them to a first-round bye. They then defeated Monmouth, Northern Iowa, and Weber State to reach the championship game.

This was James Madison's fourth FCS title game; they were 2–1 in prior championship game appearances, having won titles for the 2004 and 2016 seasons.

Game summary
2020 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game
1 2 34Total
No. 2 James Madison 7 3 3720
No. 1 North Dakota State 7 14 0728

at Toyota Stadium • Frisco, Texas

Game information
First Quarter
  • (7:27) JMU – Ben DiNucci 5 yard pass to Riley Stapleton, Ethan Ratke kick (Drive: 17 plays, 86 yards, 7:33; James Madison 7–0)
  • (3:30) NDSU – Adam Cofield 1 yard rush, Jake Reinholz kick (Drive: 8 plays, 70 yards, 3:54; Tied 7–7)
Second Quarter
  • (14:50) NDSU – Phoenix Sproles 38 yard rush, Jake Reinholz kick (Drive: 4 plays, 69 yards, 2:13; North Dakota State 14–7)
  • (9:37) JMU – Ethan Ratke 26 yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 56 yards, 5:13; North Dakota State 14–10)
  • (3:47) NDSU – James Hendricks 20 yard rush, Jake Reinholz kick (Drive: 12 plays, 81 yards, 5:46; North Dakota State 21–10)
Third Quarter
  • (8:45) JMU – Ethan Ratke 27 yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 50 yards, 4:02; North Dakota State 21–13)
Fourth Quarter
  • (14:50) NDSU – Trey Lance 44 yard rush, Jake Reinholz kick (Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 2:50; North Dakota State 28–13)
  • (6:55) JMU – Ben DiNucci 5 yard pass to Riley Stapleton, Ethan Ratke kick (Drive: 11 plays, 46 yards, 4:29; North Dakota State 28–20)

Statistics
StatisticsJMUNDSU
First downs2420
Total yards365353
Rushes–yards45–16145–281
Passing yards20472
Passing: Comp–Att–Int22–33–16–10–0
Time of possession31:4328:17
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
James MadisonPassingBen DiNucci22/33, 204 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
RushingPercy Agyei-Obese18 carries, 73 yards
ReceivingRiley Stapleton10 receptions, 100 yards, 2 TD
North Dakota StatePassingTrey Lance6/10, 72 yards
RushingTrey Lance30 carries, 166 yards, 1 TD
ReceivingNoah Gindorff1 reception, 22 yards
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References
  1. @NCAA_FCS (January 11, 2020). "Your 2019 #FCSChampionship Most Outstanding Player" (Tweet). Retrieved January 11, 2020 – via Twitter.
  2. "James Madison vs. North Dakota State - Game Summary". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  3. "NCAA Division I Football Championship Game ratings". ShowBuzzDaily. Mitch Metcalf. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  4. "Future Dates & Sites". NCAA.com. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  5. "Schedule of Events". NCAA.com. 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  6. "Broadcast Info". NCAA.com. 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  7. "Road to the Championship". ncaa.com. 2019. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
  8. "2019 FCS Football Official Bracket". NCAA.org. December 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
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